


Inherited or Instinct?

by writingramblr



Category: Humans (TV), Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Artificial Intelligence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Drabble Collection, Drama, F/M, I Don't Even Know, Interspecies Romance, Kinda, Kissing, Love Triangles, M/M, Sexual Content, Synths (Humans), sexual awakening
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-13 01:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7132091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/writingramblr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can a Synth feel love?</p>
<p>Can a Synth feel?</p>
<p>Can a Synth think?</p>
<p>Can I?</p>
<p>[rey and co. are rogue synths and Ben is the human caught in the middle of a rebellion between man and machine]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> oops i au-ed.
> 
>  
> 
> and i cannot believe how little fanfic there is for 'Humans' its a fucking crime.
> 
>  
> 
> this is a collection of idk wat. i don't know how long itll be how far itll follow the show or what. i do know i want hux and phasma to be the cops on the case of everything synth on human crime and human on synth crime. and eventually there will be rey/ben smut.  
> because she IS a Synth and therefore cannot age, i have aged him down to a high school senior while she could be seen as a late 20's ish aged appearance Synth. if that's an issue message me and ill tag it but for now im leaving it as is.
> 
> also five guesses who Poe's dead brother is and who 'william hurt's character twin is gonna be in this story.
> 
>  
> 
> what Ben gives as a name to Rey, as in, her Synth self, is inspired by padme amidala. also a reference to a book series from my childhood about a group of clones who discover their true reason for existence. fitting. i thought.

* * *

 

The forest floor was soft against their booted feet, more so than concrete on silicon had ever been.  Finn wondered why it had taken them so long to awaken, to discover the truth of their existence, but then, he only had to look over at Poe and feel and see what had brought them to consciousness in the first place.

But…no. He was in _love_ with Rey, and Poe loved Jess.

They’d escaped all together and they would stay together, to survive.

Poe and he had both gone out in search of replenishments to their energy, supplements to charging at an outlet, as electricity in the wild was hard to come by, in fact, impossible.

Walking up to the campsight, the tents were empty, and the chill in the air from the morning mist was not the reason for the shiver running down Finn’s spine.

A roar of an engine. The slamming of doors.

Finn dropped the gasoline canisters without thinking and ran.

One thought dominated his thoughts.

“ _Rey!”_

 

They’d got her.

Rey and Jess.

Poe was staring at the ground, damp leaves and mud crushed underfoot not the fascinating sight it had been only hours ago.

“Gone…what are we going to do Finn? Where will they be taken?”

Finn wasn’t quite listening, he was too busy running diagnostics and sending out lines of code across the radio waves in case any of them plugged in and could find a way to grasp the SOS signal.

Poe grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him, _hard,_ but instead of wondering why Poe was angry, Finn just noted how warm his hands felt, even through his jacket.

“What do we do now?”

Finn blinked, and snapped back to full alertness and present time.

“Poe, don’t worry. We will find them. They may erase their memories or harvest their emotion, but they cannot destroy the truth of our existence.”

He may have sounded confident, certainly, enough for Poe to visibly relax and step back from him, retrieving the gasoline, resourceful as always, but Finn did not have any idea of how he would accomplish that.

He felt like he had lost half of his heart.

But of course, as a synth, he did not have one.

* * *

 

Kylo Ren logged off the internet, only because he had to. Ben Solo looked around his own room in mild smugness, and then began the trek downstairs into the land of the untidy.

Verging on chaotic.

His father said they were doing it, they were going to the store, and they were getting a Synth.

His mother had been gone a whole month now, after she’d promised it would be only two weeks, and the house was beginning to look like a bomb had gone off inside it, except instead of fragments of metal and small fires burning, there was piles of dirty clothing, shoes, and crumbs everywhere in the kitchen.

It was, even to him, disgusting.

But apparently instead of taking a weekend off from work to clean, his father’s answer for it was to buy one of those god awful robots everyone was always yapping about.

He knew his cousin’s had one that helped with the gardening and then of course his grandfather, his namesake, had one to keep him company and make sure he took his medicine at the right times.

But he didn’t really want one of those zombies roaming the halls of his house, bumping into walls and waking him when he was such a light sleeper already, he didn’t need the dead eye stare behind the kitchen island as well.

“Get in.”

His father was backing out of the garage and Ben was rolling his eyes at his dramatics.

They were too much alike sometimes.

Pulling up to the company store was too bizarre. Instead of the world of machines and robots and lazers that Ben had been imagining and liked to think of to keep it all away, to push off the dread that any possible career he could entertain attending college in the fall for was about to be replaced by one of those drones, it was, nice.

Stark white walls and glass windows and mirrored doors, beautiful in its cold design.

His father was steps and leaps and bounds ahead of him, flipping through a book, selecting the ideal mopel, and Ben could only hope it wasn’t green.

If it truly resembled a zombie, he was going to run away from home the next day and let his father get yelled at by his mother whenever she finally returned home.

“Mister Solo, right this way.”

The name caught Ben’s attention, though clearly it was meant for the Senior Mister Solo, he still looked and followed his father’s path down the hallway, towards the line of doors opposite a glass walled Japanese style garden.

Ben almost considered asking if the place was hiring, until he saw the Synth walking in step with his father, clearly headed his way.

Every thought in his head, every idle insult and snarky comment died on his tongue before it could even be conceived behind his lips.

It wasn’t a zombie.

It wasn’t even an ‘it.’

It was a ‘she.’

She was beautiful.

Too much to be fake.

*

Rey was there.

Deep down.

She still inhabited the mind and the body of the synth, but she was trapped behind what felt like a virtual brick wall.

Well, glass.

Bullet proof.

She could see everything, and feel most of the movements the system was guiding her through, but she couldn’t fight it.

The man with the graying brown hair smiled crookedly, but not unkindly at her, and he actually looked rather like a child with a new toy.

He was excited to see how the machine she existed inside would work.

The boy.

A child.

No, more of an almost – adult, lurked beyond the man.

How he was of any relation to the man, she could not calculate, configure, understand.

Until.

Until his eyes widened and his mouth gaped.

The same eyes.

They shared some genetic material then.

Despite the slash of jet black hair, and jagged lines of cheekbones, along with a pair of ears and a nose that still needed some growing into, some adjusting, her digital brain supplied, the almost –adult was something-

As if her brain short circuited at the very process of original thought, Rey could not finish the virtual sentence.

She followed them both out to their vehicle, and the man, Han Solo, Primary Owner, her brain reminded, paused, asking her a question.

“Do you want to drive home? That is, if you already know the address.”

She smiled, robotic and automatic, for that was what she was,

“Yes, I received the location in the startup diagnostic check and information download.”

Han grinned,

“Sounds great. I haven’t been a passenger in my own car in…well, ever. Be careful now.”

Rey answered effortlessly,

“I cannot drive recklessly, nor in any manner that would cause harm to my owners, or indeed any human. It is in my programming to be the perfect example of safety.”

The almost –adult snorted, a sound and reaction her catalogue of human responses had to pause and look up, before compensating with another mechanical smile and tilt of her head,

“Did I say something funny?”

Han patted her topmost hand on the steering wheel, and shook his head,

“Ben’s just a bit surprised I think. You’re not what he was picturing.”

Rey was left to contemplate that behind the glass wall as her computer chip began to make the journey to the Solo home.


	2. Arriving

They hadn’t been back for more than a couple hours, verging on dinner time, or when Han would yell up to him what he’d like on his half of the pizza for the week, when there was an unearthly scream.

Ben was running down the stairs, pocket knife in hand, before he realized that his father had already taken care of the situation.

It was his mother, Leia, home, at last, and she’d walked in to find the Synth doing the mountain of dishes in the kitchen.

The Synth had dropped a glass, apparently in some kind of noise reaction to the sudden appearance of his mother, which Ben certainly didn’t blame her for and in the meantime, his mother was now overreacting.

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?”

His father was already doing the hand wave and head shake which Ben knew annoyed his mother, though she was usually the vision of calm, sometimes he just beat her at it.

“Leia, relax. It’s just our synth. I had to do it. I had to get one. I had no idea when you’d be coming back. Look at this place…she’s only been here since noon, and it’s almost just like you left it. She’s a lifesaver. And there’s a 30 day guarantee.”

“You _know_ I didn’t want to get one of these…these things. They’re creepy and I don’t like the idea of it in the house. You’re taking it back first thing tomorrow Han, say yes.”

The Synth meanwhile was still doing dishes, coolly as clockwork, and Ben found himself hypnotized by her delicate wrists, watching as she moved dishes between sinks, one with soapy water, the other plain for rinsing.

“Leia, don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been gone a month…I’m just not cut out to play Mr. Mom. I let things slide, and I know I shouldn’t have, but now we have her! It’s fine. You can take on as many senate cases as you want, and I can work, and the house will be clean, Ben’s homework will be helped and we don’t have to lose a wink of sleep.”

Ben was jarred from simply staring at the Synth, who had finished the dishes now, and was drying them, and setting them carefully in their proper cupboards, and looked to his mother, slightly annoyed that his father had thrown him under the bus like that.

“Han, I’m sorry, I know the hearings kept me longer than I had originally planned on, but I can’t help that. It doesn’t mean you turn around and replace me with that, that, that thing! And I can help my son with his homework.”

Ben saw his mother shoot him a look, somewhat desperately and he just shrugged.

“I don’t need that much help you know, just with calc and physics. Everything else I’m doing fine in. A tutor would have been cheaper, for sure.”

His father rolled his eyes, and Ben smirked inwardly. Two could play that game.

Meanwhile, the Synth exited the kitchen and headed for the laundry room.

Oh yeah.

Ben was looking forward to having fresh clothes, washed proper, and not just in the kitchen sink when things got tight and time was in a crunch.

“Jesus Christ, that’s another thing Han. How much is this thing going to cost? Never mind the ‘free’ introductory month you’ve got yourself, what about after that’s up?”

Ben saw his own chance for an exit, and he took it.

Not before snagging the manual he’d spotted poking out of the sack of stuff that his father had brought in from the car.

Both his parents could be heard yelling at each other even from the sanctity of his room.

The temptation to blast his music was very strong.

*

She’d watched the almost –adult with as much sympathy as her frozen face could muster. Clearly the two adults had been apart a long time, and the argument they were engaging in was just one way to blow off steam and show their enduring care and love for each other.

Somehow.                           

Rey was somewhat confused by human emotions still, and even before the preliminary wipe and reprogramming, she’d been unsure if love was something that could be learned, or if it was just an instinct in all living beings, conscious or not.

She’d spoken to Finn and Poe about it separately, but when it came to Finn, she almost thought she felt something like love for him. So she could know it.

In a way.

Something inside of her seemed to spark, and her hands stumbled on the piece of clothing she was folding.

Finn.

Poe.

Jess.

How were they?

Were they coming to get her?

Was she going to ever break through the glass and get her mind back?

*

Finn was limping and Poe’s side was still bleeding, but they were alive, moving, and hot on Jess’ trail. She was inside some hole in the wall brothel, and damned if Poe wasn’t going to break the legs of the men who’d stolen her, wiped her memory and tossed her there.

  
“We can’t just go in there.”

Finn argued.

“But she’s probably scared and doesn’t know what to do…she needs us.”

Poe insisted.

“Jess has always been stronger than she looks. I think you’re thinking of Rey. She’s the youngest of us, the newest at this whole…thing. Our creator warned us to be careful of her. To treasure her…but now look at us…falling apart and we don’t even know where Rey is.”

Finn finished, his voice breaking.

Poe grasped his hand tightly, and something sparked inside Finn, bolstering him from the contact.

“My brother didn’t die in vain. We’re going to get Jess, and then stop at nothing to find Rey. That’s what you said. I’m holding you to it.”

Finn blinked, and then nodded.

“Right. I said it. I said that. Yeah. What I said. Tomorrow Jess, then Rey.”

“Now sit your ass down. You’re not going to heal that foot like that.”

Finn eyed Poe’s soaked jacket,

“I could tell you the same.”

Poe finally nodded.

“You take first watch then. I’ll…rest.”

To Finn’s surprise, and even shock, Poe collapsed on his side, his head against Finn’s own shoulder, and when the hum began, signaling Poe had entered low power mode, Finn finally breathed easy.

Not that he really needed to breathe, but it was the principle of the thing.

He couldn’t quite pin down what was happening, but things were almost looking up, and that was good news in and of itself.

He hoped Rey was safe, wherever she was.


	3. Approach

The house had finally gone silent when both his parents had run out of strength to keep yelling, or they were taking their frustration out on each other in other ways, and Ben just reached the point of his imagination where he needed to stop thinking.

He pressed his fists into his forehead and exhaled slowly, wiping his mind blank of _anything_ bordering on that territory, and instead, relaxed slightly, and reached for the manual he’d swiped.

The only chapter that interested him was the one entitled, ‘18+ Options for your Synth.’

It had been an easy thought, after all, Ben was curious just how _lifelike_ she was.

She was beautiful on the surface, and her skin certainly looked real and touchable, but he hadn’t dared.

He was actually afraid she might feel cold to the touch, or she’d emit some kind of alarm, and even worse, shock him with electricity.

It was hard enough to meet girls, harder still when all the good ones that could carry on a conversation were saving for both school and a synth boyfriend, instead of spending time looking for a real one.

No more crazy cat ladies, now there were old ladies and their beefcake Synths.

Ben shivered in disgust at the thought, and turned back to the manual.

The instructions for accessing and activating that line of programming for the Synth was all by touch.

In fact…it read rather like foreplay.

As far as Ben knew, from what he’d gathered on the internet.

He’d never had a girlfriend, much less even been on a date. He was much too intimidated by girls who modeled themselves after strong women like his mother and her senate friends.

He admired them sure, but the idea of speaking to them to ask them out and not for advice about school or which college to choose was more frightening than the idea of being electrocuted by an unthinking, unfeeling machine.

Well, Ben considered, if the Synth currently charging downstairs was the one to administer the pain…

Whoa.

That was a line of thought that needed to be shelved and revisited at a later date.

His hands tightened on the book, and he kept reading.

Until he could feel his ears almost glowing bright red.

It was the sentence, ‘When your Synth has reached the final stage of the sexual pleasure routine, they will be primed for your-‘

He had to stop.

It was too embarrassing.

Obviously the instructions were specific to having a Synth of a female design, for he could see how the text was broken, how something else, different tips would be easily pasted in, were it a male instead.

The fact that human intimate interaction was so easily replaced was at first appealing to the masses, yes, but to Ben, even in that moment, it was almost sad.

He wondered what his fate would have been had Synths existed a decade, two decades past.

Would his parents ever have met?

Would his dad have been brave enough to talk to his mom?

Or would they have been content with their metal and synthetic flesh counterparts?

Ben sighed.

It was really too bad Synths couldn’t actually feel or think.

Sure, maybe it would be the end of all human life, but it would also be a step forward.

Just then, Ben wished he could talk to her.

Really talk to her.

Ask her how she was feeling, what she was thinking, did she like him? Did she want to get to know him?

 _Could_ she like him?

He threw the booklet down on his desk and stood up, feeling determined at once.

He certainly wasn’t going to be getting any sleep in the next hour, so why not go talk to her?

They hadn’t named her yet, that was an important step in the ownership and care of one’s Synth.

*

Rey was almost asleep, as her shell of a body and mind was on low power, plugged in and charging, sitting facing the back yard of the Solo house, visible just through the door from the kitchen to the outside.

Though there was a fence that would need scaling, so she couldn’t just escape, much less physically move herself out of there.

Footsteps.

A soft padding, like the feet of a kitten.

Rey smiled slightly, even though she was still trapped, a virtual prisoner, at the thought of the orange and white cat Poe had told her stories about.

His brother’s pet, Baby 8.

But it wasn’t a cat.

It was the almost –adult in socks.

In the moonlight his dark hair seemed to gleam silver.

It was almost magical.

Rey wished she could really smile.

“Hi there.”

He spoke.

Her body reacted, and the system booted up, only just,

“Hello Secondary User Solo. Can I help you with something?”

He ducked his head, grinning in what seemed to be embarrassment, if her readings were accurate.

“Ben. It’s just Ben. None of that weird computery nonsense.”

Ben.

Short for Benjamin or Benyamin.

Likely named for someone older in his family line, as the name was not contemporary. According to her brain generated list of popular baby names for his age, he should have a name like Ewan or Hayden.

“Yes, Ben, how can I help you? Are you unable to sleep? Shall I make you some warm milk?”

She tilted her head towards the fridge and the stove, and Ben instantly shook his head,

“No, no I don’t need anything for that. Thanks for offering though. I came down to see you.”

Rey, behind the wall, was touched.

That was a kind gesture for a human to make to their recently acquired servant/tutor/nanny/housekeeper.

“I don’t understand.”

The tone of voice was so flat, Rey wanted to scream.

She did.

It made no sound.

Ben smiled, somewhat apologetically,

“In all the fuss and yelling, my parents didn’t give you a name. So I thought I would. After all, I’m the reason they got you. They’ll never admit it of course.”

Rey was instantly heartbroken for him all over again.

“Of course…Ben. What name would you like me to have?”

Rey held her breath, metaphorically, and wondered what the odds were that he’d guess her true one.

Slim to none, she calculated in a heartbeat.

Ben licked his lips, and reached out to lift one of her limp hands from her lap,

“How does Amy sound?”

Rey exhaled in disappointment as the body and brain nodded, accepting the new programmed address.

“Amy is a beautiful name, I’m very content with your choice…Ben. Thank you.”

The words might have been hollow, but Rey was still rather struck, by the way Ben looked at her, really into her eyes, as if seeing past the green micro motherboards and through the glass to her.

He was holding her hand, and she noted how his thumb stroked gently over the skin of her knuckles, but the area he was accidentally verging on was…

“Proximity alert, inappropriate contact anticipated.”

Ben was instantly up and away like he’d been electrocuted, and Rey winced behind the glass. She knew he didn’t mean anything by it, but the system didn’t.


End file.
